Rail-block.



No. 25,914. PATENTED APR. 21, 1903. W. H. ARTHUR.

RAIL BLOCK. APPLIOATION FILED r313. 1a, 1903.

H0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES" PATENT CFFICE.

WILLIAM H. ARTHUR, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT.

RAIL-BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,914, dated April 21, 1903-.

Application filed February 13, 1903. Serial No. 143,162. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. ARTHUR,

a citizen of the United States, residing at' Stamford, Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to that class of paving-blocks which are called railblocks and which are intended to be used in laying a pavement adjacent to the tracks of a street-railway or similar transportation line, and my improvements are particularly directed to making the blocks of such a shape as to reduce the liability of the groove beside the rail being clogged with dirt or small hard articles which may fall therein and also by the shape of the rail-blocks to assist carriagewheels which may be running in the groove beside the rail to mount out of the groove,

without unduly wrenching the wheelsand axles of the carriages. These and other advantages are secured in the way in which I will now proceed to explain, referring in so doing to the accompanying drawings, in all the figures whereof similar parts are designated by similar letters of reference, and wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail-block embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line X X of Fig. 1'

and looking to the left in the direction of the arrow, and Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a section of rail and pavement laid with my improved rail-blocks.

My improved rail-blocksv are intended particularly to be used'with what-are known as T-rails and are intended to be placed between the ordinary paving-blocks and the rail and to leave beside the rail a space adapted for the travel of the flanges of the carwheels and of such a character that the wheels of other vehicles running in thespace "may without undue strain mount onto the face of the pavement. V

A is my improved block, which may be made of brick, artificial stone, or other suitable substance. In general size and proportions the blocks are intended to correspond with the ordinary granite blocks G G or Belgian blocks or brick blocks with which it is intended to be set, and in order to join well with the other blocks they'may be made in full-length size and in shorter lengths, as shown by the alternate blocks in Fig. 4.

The end of the block intendedto be placed next to the rail is provided with an inclined shoulder running off into a toe E, which is intended to abut against the web of the rail.

I prefer to so proportion the blocks that when ment of the cars and avoiding the abnormal shocks to which the rail-blocks are subjected when the car-wheels run over or crush a hard substance like a stone.

The inclined shoulders of the rail-block are reduced or rabbeted, as at D, so that the central portion of the shoulders forms a raised rib C, but when the rail-blocks are set in position, as shown in Fig. 4, the spaces formed by the reduced portions D D between the 'ribs 0 C are sufficiently wide to allow a carriage-wheel, which may be running in the groove beside the head of the rail, to be turnedlbetween the rail and the block, so that the face of the wheel-tire will strike a rib C, and thereby obtain a grip on the pavement which will enable it to mount out of the groove and onto the street-level. It will be understood that the angle of this inclined portion, the depth of the reduced portions,

the height of the ribs C, and the length of the toe E may be varied somewhat without departing from the spirit of my invention, and it is'obvious also that if the groove is made narrow only the lighter wheels can fall into'it, while if it is of considerable width the wheels of trucks and ,heaviervehicles might slide into the groove, and it will-be readily understood that the heavierthe form of traffro the more massive should be the ribs on the blocks.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A rail-block provided with an inclined shoulder, having a protuberance thereupon, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A rail-block provided with an inclined shoulder with reduced edges forming a raised rib upon such shoulder, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A rail-block provided with an inclined shoulder rabbeted laterally to form reduced edges and an extended reduced toe, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. A rail-block provided with an inclined shoulder with reduced edges, forming a raised rib between the top of the block and an extended reduced toe, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination, with a railway-rail, of a rail-block provided with a reduced end extending into a toe adapted to bear against the web of the rail and to leave a space between the head of the rail and the top of the toe and the top of the block, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The combination, with a railway-rail, of a series of rail-blocks, each provided with a reduced toe, and with an inclined shoulder having a raised rib thereupon, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. The combination, with a railway-rail, of a series of rail-blocks, each provided with an inclined reduced shoulder, to form a groove or space beside the rail, and with raised portions upon said shoulders, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. The combination, with a railway-rail, of rail-blocks, forming a groove beside the rail, and provided with protuberances adjacent to said groove.

9. The combination, in a pavement, of a T- rail, a groove beside the rail, and protuberances along the side of the groove opposite to the rail.

10. The combination, with a railway-rail, of a rail-block provided with a reduced end extending into a toe to bear against the Web of the rail and to leave a space between the under side of the head of the rail and the top of the toe, substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM H. ARTHUR.

\Vitnesses:

WM. D. NEILLEY, ALICE EDWARDS. 

